


Sunlight and Shadow

by SpiralCreator



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Abuse of Angel Powers, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angel!Izaya, Angel/Demon Relationship, Demon!Shizuo, Fallen Angels, Forbidden Love, Good Demons, Hate to Love, Love/Hate, M/M, Memory Loss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2018-12-07 00:14:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11611914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiralCreator/pseuds/SpiralCreator
Summary: Izaya Orihara is an angel. Or at least he was. After meddling with humanity, he was banished from heaven and became a fallen angel. He was given three months to learn humility and love, but he would have to do so as a human. If he could not, he would be banished to oblivion. With no memories of his angelic life and no skills as a human, proving himself worthy of heaven would be exceedingly difficult.Shizuo Heiwajima is a demon. Or at least he was. After deciding that he did not want to cause pain and suffering to humanity, he clawed his way out of hell. In order to not be recaptured, he would have to continuously do good deeds and somehow manage to control his destructive nature. With his uncontrollable strength and incredibly short temper, escaping and evading the clutches of hell would be exceedingly difficult.





	1. Everything

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Izaya Orihara was an angel. He loved being angel. He loved the privileges that came with it: an overview of all humans, a considerable amount of power, and a never-ending life. He was not one of the most powerful angels; however, over the centuries, he managed to gain power and influence over the most powerful angels' decisions (which, he supposed, made him one of the most powerful angels).

Izaya Orihara’s most cherished possession was his pool of water that allowed him to view the world of the humans. Every angel possessed one, but his was different. With his, he was able to influence and interact with the human domain. One of his favorite meddlings was the black plague. Now, angels were meant to spread hope and love, but Izaya wanted to spread more. He wanted to spread all sorts of emotions throughout his beloved humans. 

That was why he created the bacterium known as Yersinia Pestis—the one fleas on rats possessed. He did not regret his decision in the slightest. The reactions of his beloved humans were too amusing! The Catholic Church believed the black plague to be the cause of witches. Of course they would believe something irrational, but the way they responded to their belief made Izaya giddy with glee. They burned all of the so-called witches and their cats. With little to no cats, the rat population increased exponentially. This spread the plague all across Europe and to some other countries as well. That certainly had been entertaining. The Catholic Church had been responsible for the plague that killed 60% of Europe even though it was meant to spread the will of God. He could not blame his poor little humans though. The other angels barely lifted a finger to help. They did not help when he caused the Great Schism, the idea of divine right monarchy, or hundreds of pagan religions which involved human sacrifice.

All angels were meant to love humans; however, Izaya Orihara felt as if he was the only one invested in them. He spent all his hours watching them and interacting with them at times. The other angels simply paid the humans no heed. They were too preoccupied with themselves. Izaya did not mind though. That meant the humans were for him alone. He would give them his love–all of his love. 

He was content. He was an angel and he loved being one. He loved his humans, he loved the ability to fly, and he loved the thought of living forever. Unfortunately, this contentment could not last.

He believed he had calculated everything perfectly, and he did, but he did not take into account betrayal. A lesser angel that he had utilized for his meddlings had exposed his actions. All the evidence had been destroyed; however, there was no way he could have disposed of his pool of water. After careful inspection, the other angels were able to determine that his pool of water was different. With this information, they were able to effectively accuse him of all his “wrongdoings”. There was no way he could talk himself out of this one. No matter how much charm and persuasion he utilized, he was guilty and they all knew it.

His punishment would be nonexistence.

Izaya Orihara had but one fear and that was oblivion. When they stated his punishment, he felt sheer terror take over his body. He could not accept this fate. He knew begging would do no good, but if it would have, he certainly would have done it. He would do anything to rid of this condemnation.

He was about to be sent to the realm of nothingness when the highest ranking angel spoke up. Apparently, he wished for Izaya Orihara to repent before being punished. Claiming to be merciful, he provided an alternative penance. Izaya Orihara would have to learn humility and _true_ love. He had to prove himself worthy of heaven. He would be given three months to do so. If he could not within the given amount of time, then he would be banished to oblivion.

This offer sounded considerably better than the original one; however, Izaya was unaware of the conditions: he would have to learn humility and love as a human and without his memories of heaven.

Once these conditions were explicated, Izaya felt his hope shattered. How was he meant to complete the necessary goals without knowing them? He would not only be a human, but he would be an invalid one. The thought alone filled him with doubt and apprehension. There was no way he could save himself from nonexistence. Izaya Orihara was doomed. The other angels probably just wanted to humiliate him before his eternal death.

The head angel promised to assist Izaya along the way with flashbacks and visions, but Izaya paid no mind. He had already accepted his fate. He would fail and after three months, he would be nothing. Nothing at all.

With a final farewell, the head angel pushed Izaya Orihara into the pool of water from which he viewed and meddled with humans. The fall was terrifying. He could feel his wings falling apart, his memories coming undone, and his powers dissipating. He could feel himself becoming human. And that terrified him more than oblivion.

Three months to learn concepts he believed he already knew. Little to no help from above. No recollection of his past. No otherworldly power. He was human. So _disgustingly_ human. And not even that. He was a human with a time limit. He was a human rejected from heaven. A fallen angel.

There was a place for everything and everything was out of place.


	2. Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this introduction chapter, then everything shall commence. The actual story and its events, that is. I promise the other chapters will be much longer and such. I hope you enjoy this nonetheless.

I need nothing. I seek nothing. I desire nothing. I am nothing, and not even that.

Shizuo Heiwajima was an demon. He hated being a demon. He hated the detriments that came with it: uncontrollable rage, the tendency to be destructive, and a never-ending life of solitude and loathing. His strength and stubbornness led him to becoming a high-ranking demon. There was one thing, however, that separated Shizuo and other demons—he had the capacity for compassion.

Seeing the other demons spread misery and fear among the humans filled him with guilt and frustration. They would roam the mortal realm, building up trust and inevitably betraying the loyalty of the ones they gained the trust from. Instead of causing hate and despair, Shizuo wanted to spread love and hope. He knew that if the other demons found out, they would ridicule him or persecute him. Probably both. Not desiring punishment, Shizuo would act on his good will in secret.

He was never able to stop natural disasters, devastating wars, or the corruption of humanity, but he did his best. He saved countless lives, but it was never enough for him. No matter how many people he saved, it never alleviated his heavy conscience. The reason for his guilt was the fact that no matter how much he attempted to reign in his anger, he would have outbursts. During said outbursts, he would accidentally hurt the individuals he wished to protect. This led to him isolating himself from others. He did not wish for humans to look at him with fear or loathing. He wanted their acceptance and approval. _He wanted their love._

He was present at numerous historical events such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the Hoover Dam flood, and the Battle of Thermopylae. During these horrid events that caused numerous deaths, he did his best to help. He often became injured during the process, but that would not hinder him. Any pain he received was worth the lives he saved. After a particularly disastrous event known as ‘World War II’, he felt disheartened. The demons played a key role in causing such an event and Shizuo felt beyond repulsed. Any time he came into contact with a demon, he would take out his anger and frustration on him/her. When confronted, he simply told them that he was done. That he would no longer tolerate their evil ways. That if he ever came into contact with another demon again, he would damage them beyond repair. When the demons sneered and laughed at him, he simply ignored them. He had given them a warning and he planned on staying true to his word.

Evidently, he could not remain in hell; therefore, he clawed his way out of the torturous location. As always, it was an extremely painful process, even more so since he was given no assistance and was exceedingly weak. The weakness was due to Shizuo not causing any torment or discord among humans. Demons gained their strength and power from causing pain, but since Shizuo made a vow not to, his body was deprived of energy. It was not a total disadvantage, however, because the head demons had a hold on and a connection to the other, lesser demons. They could locate the demons wherever they were, summon them back to hell, and torture them until they were nothing but dust. Shizuo would be an exception to such a thing because he was different. Hell could not affect him if he remained pure of heart. In other words, as long as he continued to behave morally, there was no way they could find him, drag him back to hell, or hurt him in any way.

After he had managed to figuratively and literally claw his way out of hell, he was greatly injured. He suffered from burns and bloody wounds during his agonizing journey. He may have simply died as soon as he escaped, but luck was on his side as he ran into a kind-hearted man who took him and nursed him back to health. The man’s name was Tom Tanaka. After Shizuo was almost fully recovered, Tom’s generosity did not stop. He granted Shizuo an occupation and offered him a place to stay. Shizuo, of course, accepted both and was exceedingly grateful. He did not need to worry about blending in due to the fact that all of his demon features dissipated as a result of his lack of energy. Simply put, by not causing mayhem, his horns, wings, and tail ceased to exist.

It took awhile to get used to life as a human, not that he was fully adjusted yet, but he enjoyed himself. He gained friends, aspirations, and a more peaceful existence. Things had turned out in his favor, but he still felt as if something was missing. In addition, he lived in constant uneasiness because of a thought that plagued him: What would happen if he was dragged back to hell? Of course he would be punished, but it would also impact the people who had become his acquaintances. They would undoubtedly be harmed as well because the demons would use them as a method of revenge. He would not allow such a thing to happen; therefore, he continued on the virtuous path, as hard as it was.

Then one day, Tom had stated something thought-provoking: “I guess your guardian angel is watching over you.” His guardian angel? Demons and angels often engaged in combat in the past, but he had not seen an angel in centuries. Where were they? When humans were struggling and dying. Where were they? When demons were causing chaos and running rampant. Where were they? When Shizuo desperately needed help. _Where were they?_

He often pondered over that question and even attempted prayer at one point, but was never answered. Though the thought never truly left him, he continued on with his life. And it was good. Life was good, or at least as good as it could be for a demon such as he was. He had a job. He had a home. He had friends. Having such things helped him overlook the fact that destruction followed him wherever he went. But only slightly. He was a demon after all and nothing could change that.

I need something. I seek something. I desire something. I am something, and all of that.


	3. Something

After an exceptionally unexceptional day, this was the last thing Shizuo Heiwajima expected to see. Today had begun like any other — with a glass of milk and the process of getting dressed into his usual bartender attire. It continued like any other — with working for Tom and eating at the local bakery. The way it ended, however, proved to be a break from the usual pattern.

The sight itself was rather odd and Shizuo had a hard time believing his eyes. He rubbed them once, twice, but eventually decided upon gaining a closer look. As he took a couple of tentative steps forward, he was able to discern and further scrutinize the figure in his vision. Beyond the shout of a doubt, it was what it was.

A naked person lying in the middle of the street.

Shizuo glanced around to see if anyone was around that could potentially help the clothes-less individual currently resting on the pavement. Considering that it was night, it came as no surprise that people were not present, much less prevalent. This part of town was often vacant during such hours and it would be likely to persist that way during the remainder of the night. Especially since the winter weather dusted everything in a layer of frost and made it too chilled for individuals to traverse the streets without experiencing discomfort. After giving the location one last look around and finding nothing but uncostly cars, bent street signs, and barely functioning light fixtures, Shizuo returned his gaze to the male sprawled out on the floor. Was he a homeless man? A drunkard? Someone who just got mugged? A person who never backed down from a dare?

As there was no one near the vicinity besides Shizuo, he knew that he would begrudgingly have to assist the stranger. After all, it would be quite the sin to leave him behind. Shizuo let out an exhale as he rubbed the back of his awkwardly. His head tilted, contemplating how he should go about proceeding. It would be rather concerning if he was seen carrying around a body resemblant of a corpse, but what other choice did he have? The man was splayed out over the concrete as if he had fallen face-first, a couple scratches visible on his arms, face, stomach, and all other anterior portions of his body.

Shizuo bent down next to the man, continuing to wonder what form of unfortunate events led to the stranger’s current predicament. As he did so, he noticed something… odd about the person (aside from the fact that he was naked, of course). Shizuo looked steadily and intently, up and down the individual’s form. There was nothing unusual about his appearance aside from the scratches. The male possessed short, black hair, pale, somewhat smooth skin, and was of average height… just as almost every male in Japan. Even so, Shizuo could not shake off the feeling that something was _different_ about him. It was as if there was a form of residue on him. No, maybe his aura? Something Shizuo was unable to overlook, but still could not determine. It was frustrating to say the least, but at least Shizuo had the comfort of knowing that he could ask the stranger whenever he decided to finally wake up.

As it was winter, Shizuo was donning a heavy coat. One that he removed in favor of wrapping it around the figure in front of him. Shizuo half-wondered if this person was on the brink of death. There was no telling how long he had been out in the cold and that was distressing to put it mildly. While Shizuo mulled over these thoughts, he carefully lifted the now-clothed form of the unfamiliar individual. In doing so, he turned the person over and now received a full view of his face. Well, that was unexpected.

This person appeared as if he was hand-crafted by god himself. Despite the scratches, his face was flawless. His porcelain complexion was wonderfully contrasted by his dark hair and long lashes. Each and every feature on his face was pleasantly proportionate and pleasingly pulchritudinous. This man was a conglomeration of immaculate pieces. That, combined with the moonlight giving him an ethereal glow, made him appear angelic. By and large, his appearance was the quintessence of perfection.

Shizuo was not one to fall for such things, but this revelation did make him rather curious as to why this man would be abandoned like he was. Shaking his head to shake off the thought, Shizuo arranged the man into a more comfortable position, cradling him in his arms. It was only a fifteen minute walk to his apartment, but Shizuo quickened his pace, utilizing his long legs to take quicker strides. Giving off several puffs of visible breath due to the wintry environment, Shizuo managed to arrive home in five minutes.

Shizuo knew why he was doing this. The reason for his current actions was because he was reminded of himself—when Tom took him in and cared for him despite being beaten and battered. Without that man, his friend, he probably would not have remained among the living. It was altogether fitting and proper for Shizuo to do the same to another.

After entering his modest apartment and with no delay, Shizuo placed the man on his ~~cheap~~ affordable bed and quickly filled the compact tub with warm water. Once the water rose to a reasonable height, Shizuo retrieved the male and extricated him from the jacket before gently lowering him into the water in an attempt to warm him up. As soon as the man made contact with the water, however, he woke up.

Shizuo was startled to say the least for not only did the other person wake up, he did so in an unexpected manner. Only his legs had been submerged in the liquid, but that was enough to send him into a fit. The stranger began to wriggle and twist his body from side to side, demonstrating extreme discomfort. He kicked at the water in a wildly uncontrollable manner, willing it away. It was hard to keep his hold on the other as he did this, but it was not as if Shizuo had to. The man was clinging onto him as if he were a lifeline, with nails digging into his skin.

Shizuo quickly spoke up in an attempt to calm the other down, or maybe perhaps to calm himself down.

“Hey! Hey! It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you! I was just going to give you a bath!” Shizuo exclaimed, hoping his cries would not fall on deaf ears. Though, he supposed, those words were not exactly comforting. It would be rather odd to wake up in an unknown location with someone attempting to clean you up, but Shizuo sensed that that was not the main issue. The man appeared more afraid of the water than he was of the blonde. Shizuo made sure to lower his voice and began using a firm yet calmer tone. “Okay, calm down…” Shizuo lifted him away from the tub carefully and methodically before continuing, “…there, you see? It’s okay.”

The male, after being set down on the bed, looked around with wide eyes, attempting to take in the environment. There was something akin to fascination in his eyes but that was overpowered by fear and confusion, predominantly the latter. Still being without clothes, the personage experienced slight shivers which gradually increased until he was shaking. Shizuo, having noticed such a thing, fetched a blanket forthwith and offered it to the other. In response, the man glanced at the blanket and then back at Shizuo, continuing to wordlessly shiver as if he were a leaf.

Seeing as the stranger was evidently disoriented, Shizuo conscientiously draped the covering over the raven’s shoulders and wrapped it around his form. The responding reaction was that the young man’s shivers died down slightly and his eyelids began appearing rather heavy. Shizuo could sense that the man’s fatigue became extant once again now that the adrenaline of fear was no longer present.

“Uh…it’s okay if you want to fall asleep. You look tired…” Shizuo suggested apprehensively. In response, the other male slowly leaned backwards onto the bed and succumbed to the bliss of sleep. Not knowing what to do, Shizuo merely stood and watched the other slumber. After realizing that course of action to be creepy, Shizuo meandered into his living room, took a seat upon his aged sofa, and sighed in something comparable to relief.

This was certainly not how he expected his day to end. With an unknown individual in his bed who could very well be some sort of criminal. One that he would have to proceed cautiously with and nurse back to health. But Shizuo supposed his situation could be worse. He could be the random person experiencing some form of discombobulation.

Deciding to deal with this situation the next morning rather than overthink this temporary circumstance, Shizuo rearranged himself and attempted to find a comfortable position on the couch. This is where he would be sleeping tonight after all. Usually, he did not find favor with his mattress, but tonight, he regretted taking it for granted as it was infinitely more comfortable than his current location.

After a couple of tosses and turns, Shizuo was able to lull himself into a somewhat peaceful slumber. One filled with snores but devoid of dreams. Tomorrow would prove to be rather chaotic and it was necessary to gather all of the rest needed to deal with such discord. To deal with the stranger he had let willingly into his house. To deal with the mysterious individual unknown to being a fallen angel.


	4. Anything

Nothing made sense.

As Izaya slowly blinked into awareness, he managed to shift his body into a sitting position and while doing so, he attempted to take in his surroundings. Despite sunlight invading his vision and his eyelids proving to be rather heavy, he glanced around and analyzed the environment.

There were walls, four of them. White walls that connected to brown flooring which appeared to be made of wood. A dresser and a nightstand which also appeared to be made of wood. One bed, upon which he was currently resting. Gray covers were draped over the lower half of his body. The texture was pleasant—soft and somewhat comforting.

He was able to identify these items yet they seemed unfamiliar to him.

The remaining fragments of the _dream_ he had just experienced only augmented his confusion. There was one thing, however, that he knew with absolute certainty.

He was not supposed to be here.

There was nothing to back up his assertion, but it made sense. Nothing else did. He tried and tried and _tried_ to recall any past events; however, nothing came to mind. Nothing aside from water and falling. There was a man as well. With these three tidbits, Izaya pieced together what he could.

One, water was to be avoided. It made him uneasy just to think about it. Somehow, it brought forth unpleasant feelings. Again, this made little sense, but Izaya felt wary and even a bit fearful of bodies of water. Perhaps going near the aforementioned substance would trigger some memories, but Izaya doubted they would be pleasant.

Two, Izaya must have fallen. Evidently. The accident, or perhaps it was not an accident, had caused him to lose his memories. Now that he recognized this as a fact, Izaya concluded that he must have sustained injuries. This brought to his attention another unfamiliar circumstance. His body was _different_. It was a nonsensical notion, but Izaya felt as this current form of his was not complete. As if he was missing something. He felt weak and confused, or at least weaker and more confused than he usually was. And how was he usually? Try as he might, Izaya could not remember. 

Deciding not to waste time uselessly mulling over memories that would not return to him, he instead began analyzing his form. Moving the blanket off of his body, he noted everything familiar. Legs, arms, torso, fingers, toes… He seemed intact. Not wanting to leave the warmth that the blanket offered, Izaya shakily stood up and wrapped it around himself. With one hand, he kept it clasped in the front around his form. With his other hand, he touched his face, feeling foreign objects on it. Izaya peeled one off carefully.

An adhesive bandage.

This made Izaya blink as he further scrutinized the object. He knew its appearance and its purpose, but that did not lessen its irregularity. It was unusual to him yet familiar. Everything in the room was. How did this bandage even find a place on his face? 

Oh, right. The _man_.

From the third tidbit, Izaya gathered that the room he was currently in belonged to the stranger he vaguely remembered from yesterday. Who was that person? Why did he bring Izaya there? What was his name? At uncovering a realization, Izaya blinked. He was aware of his own name: Izaya. The being from his dream-like experience had told him so. Said being also informed him of other pieces of information. Something about love and humility—things Izaya could not be bothered to remember at the moment. There were more pressing matters to attend to, after all.

With the blanket still wrapped around him, Izaya made his way into another room—a bathroom. Izaya looked around, taking in the environment and inspecting everything carefully. His eyes halted at the small mirror placed over the sink. With much fascination, he leaned closer to the object in which he could analyze his reflection. 

There were two adhesive bandages on his face, one still in his hand. They must be covering cuts similar to the one that was visible where the third bandage used to cover. It may not have been the grandest revelation, but for Izaya, it was surreal. He was _bleeding_. Not that much, in fact, it was barely at all, but the sensation was completely unusual and unfamiliar to him.

Izaya continued to peruse the small wound before a pleasant smell took over his senses. The aroma had immediately gathered his attention. It was new, but exceedingly enjoyable. The scent trigged a reaction in him, causing his stomach to emit a slight rumble. Izaya blinked before poking his abdomen curiously. Of course, since he did not have his memories, Izaya could not be certain, but he was quite sure that his body did not ever produce such a noise before. Thinking back to what he knew, he determined that he must be hungry. It was an instinctive feeling, one that he could recognize almost immediately, but it was still unfamiliar. This familar/unfamilar cycle was frustrating him slightly, but he decided to focus his attention on the delightful smell from the other room. It was strong, bitter, and incredibly inviting.

Following his nose to what appeared to be a kitchen/dining area, Izaya’s eyes fell upon the man from his memories. The tall, blond creature. That seemed to be a more accurate depiction. He seemed usual—wearing a white shirt and blue sweatpants with a messy head of hair. Izaya was not sure how he could tell, but he could.

This man was not usual.

The man, or creature, broke the familiar/unfamiliar pattern. He was not a human, certainly not. Izaya was well-aware of what humans looked like, acted like, and felt like. This person could most certainly _not_ be a human. His aura was _different_. He may look like one of the humans Izaya found himself oddly fond over, but Izaya would not be fooled. This individual was different…

Yet he brought Izaya into his home? For what reason? Was Izaya being held hostage by this creature? Why did he place the bandages on his face? For what reason did this false-human allow him to rest in his bed? Why was he wearing such casual clothing? Was he attempting to fool Izaya? Was this creature dangerous? What did he want? What was his goal? Why was he pretending to be human?

Izaya continued to ask various questions in his head, but was interrupted by the other warily asking a question.

“Uh, do you want some coffee?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long chapter? What is that?
> 
> Happy (early) Halloween.


	5. One Thing

“Uh, do you want some coffee?” 

Shizuo knew that such an inquiry was not exactly the most appropriate given the circumstances, but with how intently the other was looking at him, it seemed to be the best way to dissolve the tension.

The stranger blinked curiously, his eyes darting to the coffee and then back at Shizuo. It appeared as if he wanted to say something, but instead he simply nodded. Shizuo was surprised at the other’s affirmation, but went to serve a cup anyway — it would help distract him from the fact that a possible criminal/drug-addict was standing in his kitchen in nothing but a blanket. 

Once he poured the coffee into a festive mug (it was the holiday season, after all), he placed it on the table in front of the stranger, turning back around to grab sugar and creamers. Perhaps Shizuo should not have turned his back on him, but it was unlikely that this person would be able to harm him. With the additives now in hand, he turned back around to hand them over — only to find that the stranger was already downing the coffee.

“Wait, isn’t that…” _…incredibly bitter?_ Shizuo watched in amazement as the coffee was consumed eagerly. It was almost as if this person had never tried coffee before — or any food for that matter. _  
Oh, no. Did I pick up a homeless man?_ Shizuo had nothing against homeless individuals, but now how was he supposed to send him out? It was freezing outside and the nearest shelter was several miles away (Shizuo knew this because he had helped Tom in a holiday soup kitchen as a way to ‘be good’ and ‘repel hell’).

Shizuo sighed tiredly, deciding to evaluate the situation better than he had last night. For one, this person was incredibly thin (which only supported the notion that he was homeless and without access to food). The stranger also failed to say anything. Was he incapable of speaking? A mute person could also be homeless… Shizuo shook his head and continued mentally listing his observations. The dark-haired male was injured, seemingly unperturbed by waking up in a stranger’s home, and somewhat attractive — not that the last observation mattered that much. Well, at least he learned that the other knew Japanese (he had nodded when Shizuo offered him coffee). Perhaps Shizuo should ask him a question to see if he really could not speak.

“What’s your name?” A simple question and hopefully one he would receive an answer to. But concerned that the stranger would feel uncomfortable, he quickly added, “I’m Shizuo Heiwajima.” The last name was not his own, but appellations were surprisingly important in the human world, so he had to acquire one.

While Shizuo had been making observations, the raven had been staring at the empty mug of coffee dejectedly. At being addressed, he looked up, continuing to snuggle into Shizuo’s blanket while standing. After placing the cup down, he opened his mouth to articulate something, but then promptly closed it. Taking in a deep breath, the stranger tried again.

“Izaya.”

So he could speak; Shizuo was relieved. One question down, about a hundred more to go.

“So what are you—” Shizuo began, but was cut off by Izaya asking his own question.

“Could I have more coffee? That was the name of the drink, wasn’t it?” Izaya inquired without enthusiasm, even yawning as he finished speaking. Izaya blinked in surprise at the reaction, touching his mouth curiously — either unaware or uncaring of the blonde’s inner turmoil.

Shizuo nearly fell over at the question. Out of all the things he could ask, Izaya inquired about coffee. There were numerous issues regarding that question. Firstly, Izaya’s priorities were incredibly distorted. He was in the home of stranger — naked and injured — yet he asked about a drink of all things! And somewhat even more concerning was the question itself. Had the other truly never drank coffee before? Did the person just escape from a psychiatric facility? Shizuo did not have a chance to respond as the other spoke up again.

“Never mind. I can get it myself.” After maneuvering around Shizuo, Izaya began pouring a cup of coffee, much like Shizuo had done before, but with a look of curiosity in his eyes. Izaya was analyzing the coffee maker, the mug, and even the counter with an unusual fascination. The odd intruder shifted the blanket onto his shoulders so that it would stay without him having to hold it in place, but even though the blanket continued to cover him, it was not doing a stellar job of preserving modesty. 

Shizuo could do nothing but watch as the other helped himself. It was unbelievable. He had spent enough time around humans to know that they did not act this way — arrogantly and unusually. This was _his_ home and yet Izaya behaved this way. Even after Shizuo had taken him off of the streets and cleaned his wounds! He had to wake up in the middle of the night to disinfect the scratches and place bandaids on his larger cuts. Speaking of which, one of the bandaids was missing. Shizuo would ask about it, but had a feeling that his question would be ignored.

Shizuo was snapped out of his thoughts by the other chuckling. What on earth could he find amusing…

“Everything is so strange.”

 _Says the strangest thing in the room._ Shizuo was not sure what to make of him, but something told him that Izaya would be trouble. Shizuo did not expect a ‘thank you’ for all that he had done, but the other could at least give a little bit of respect.

Forcefully clearing his throat, Shizuo tried again to vocalize a question. Though it was more of an exasperated demand than a casual inquiry. “Where do you live?” It was an important question that could possibly dispel some of Shizuo’s worries. His worries had changed, however. Before, he had been concerning about Izaya’s wellbeing, but now, he was more concerned about not being able to rid of the newfound pest.

“Why?” Izaya inquired in response, not looking away from the coffee maker (which he was holding onto rather protectively).

Shizuo groaned inwardly at the evasion. “I want to know where you live so that I can—”

“No,” Izaya cut him off once more. Finally looking Shizuo in the eye with what appeared to be confidence, he continued, “I mean why are you pretending to be human?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to make a longer chapter someday. Oh, and happy holidays!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Make sure to leave suggestions (they will most likely happen)! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
